Valencia clinches Champions League qualification on final day

Getafe, Sevilla and Espanyol made up the chasing pack in La Liga's top seven while Valencia beat Real Valladolid to hold on to fourth place.

Stephen Creek

19 May, 2019 00:24 IST

Valencia head coach Marcelino - Getty Images

Stephen Creek

19 May, 2019 00:24 IST

Valencia beat Real Valladolid 2-0 away from home to secure fourth place in La Liga and qualification for next season's Champions League ahead of Getafe and Sevilla.

Marcelino's side was already fourth going into the final league game of the season but both Getafe and Sevilla could have dislodged it had Valladolid earned an unlikely victory at Estadio Jose Zorrilla.

Carlos Soler settled Valencia's nerves with the opening goal after 36 minutes, and the result was made safe by Rodrigo Moreno's strike seven minutes after half-time.

Sevilla lobbied La Liga to change the kick-off time ahead of its final league fixture against Athletic Bilbao, complaining that the temperatures in Andalusia would be too warm for its players, but the game went ahead as scheduled and Wissam Ben Yedder put Sevilla ahead after 44 minutes.

Athletic hit the crossbar late on as it pressed for an equaliser that might have landed it a Europa League qualification but Sevilla countered and Munir El Haddadi scored in second-half stoppage-time to wrap up a 2-0 victory.

Meanwhile, Getafe was pegged back by a late Gerard Moreno goal as it drew 2-2 at home with Villarreal and ended the season level on points with Sevilla, but its superior head-to-head record ensured it held onto fifth place.

Sevilla finished sixth and has to play qualifying matches to earn the right to join Getafe in next season's Europa League, and Espanyol's 2-0 final day victory over Real Sociedad saw it climb two places to clinch the final Europa League qualification spot.

After starting the day in ninth place and going in goalless at half-time at RCDE Stadium, two goals in seven second-half minutes from Roberto Rosales and Wu Lei earned it three points and the opportunity to qualify for the Europa League, while Sociedad and Athletic missed out.

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